How long should a CV be? A straight answer

Length is a symptom, not a rule. A CV is too long when it repeats itself, not when it reaches a second page.

The rule of thumb

• 0–3 years of experience: one page.
• 3–10 years: one or two pages, whichever reads cleaner.
• 10+ years, or technical roles with a long tool history: two pages.
• Academic, research, medical or public-sector applications: as long as the format requires, with publications listed separately.

What to cut first

1. 1Duties that any holder of the job title would have. Keep what only you did.
2. 2Roles older than 12–15 years — compress them into one “Earlier career” line.
3. 3Skills sections listing everything you have ever opened.
4. 4Hobbies, unless they are relevant to the role or genuinely distinctive.
5. 5Objective statements that describe what you want without saying what you offer.
6. 6Repeated bullets across similar roles — keep the strongest, drop the echo.

Making two pages read like one

• Never leave a page one-third full. Either fill it or cut back to one page.
• Put everything that decides the interview on page one: summary, current role, key achievements.
• Repeat your name on page two — pages get separated when printed.
• Use 10–11pt body text and real margins instead of shrinking to 8pt to force one page.